


Keep Me Without Chains

by Batsutousai



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alpha/Omega, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Dark Odin, Forced Stillbirth, Intersex Loki, Knotting, M/M, Not Happy, Off-screen mPreg, Rough Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-30
Updated: 2013-11-30
Packaged: 2018-01-03 01:56:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1064338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Batsutousai/pseuds/Batsutousai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the moment when Odin AllFather could have put an end to his people's mistreatment of the Jötnar, he sees one Jötunn child he, himself, wouldn't give up the chance to have without a fight.<br/>Loki never should have come out of the dark corner Laufey had hidden him in.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Keep Me Without Chains

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Runic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Runic/gifts).



> **Disclaim Her:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Marvel. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. 
> 
> **A/N:** Happy birthday, Runic! Here's your Odin/Loki omega 'verse non-con! XD
> 
> Ever since I finished The Lightning Strike, Runic has been trying to get me to write more Omega 'verse. Somehow we got on the topic of a [particular Norsekink prompt](http://norsekink.livejournal.com/12132.html?thread=29981796#t29981796), wherein every turn of Ragnarok, Odin goes to any length to have Loki close to him, in one way or another. She was working on an Omega 'verse fic of her own, and she decided I needed to write this prompt in an ABO world. To which I said, I'll be using my universe rules from Lightning Strike and it's going to end in rape and tears.  
> We're both feels masochists, incidentally. XD
> 
> As a note, Odin refers to Loki as a child in the beginning of this, because he's still young, comparatively. In reality, he's of age as according to Jötnar custom, whatever that might be, given their extended lifespans. So, you know, this has non-con out the wazoo, but no underage sex. (Small kindnesses. XD)  
> Also, Odin uses masculine pronouns for Loki, but Loki uses gender neutral pronouns. Jötnar don't have gendered pronouns, because they are all intersexual. (Uhm, I did trip over 'father' for Laufey and eventually decided to keep it as that, rather than attempting to make up a gender neutral term for a parent that wasn't...'parent'. ^.^")  
> This is the closest you will ever see me come to writing mpreg, and it's all off-screen. You never see Loki – or any other Jötnar – pregnant, only with the child. (The things I do for you, Runic. XP )

For all they might tell future generations otherwise, the fact was that the war between Asgard and Jötunheimr had been as much about freedom, as it had been about Midgard. Freedom from the alpha Æsir and Vanir that came along Bifröst in droves to find and impregnate whatever omega Jötnar they could find, regardless of their wishes. Freedom from having their non-omega children stripped from them, spirited away to Asgard or Vanaheimr, never to be heard of again. 

When Odin finally had his hands on the Casket of Ancient Winters – removing that sole source of power from the grasp if the Jötnar was the easiest way of ending the war – he truly had intended to give the Jötnar their freedom. He'd every intention of returning home and decreeing Jötunheimr off limits to anyone who did not wish to face the most terrible of punishments. 

Alas, when he stopped in front of Laufey, kneeling and snarling under the hands of the warriors who'd taken up the task, he caught sight of a too-small Jötunn child peering around an icy stalagmite. Everything in him demanded that he have that child, and it was only the thought of someone raping his own young son that kept him from setting right to it. 

He forced himself to look over at Laufey, away from the child. "Be grateful this war is ended before yet more of your people lay dead." 

"At least dead, we are freed from your vile acts of ' _passion_ '," Laufey snarled in return, pulling against the hands holding him back, as though he intended to harm Odin in some way. 

Odin didn't flinch. "Perhaps," he agreed before turning and leaving. 

He would return. 

-0-

"Sire," Heimdall said after looking upon the young Jötunn for the first time, having accepted the duty of Gatekeeper from his own father mere days before, "are you sure it is wise to allow this one to live?" 

Odin frowned. "Explain yourself, Heimdall. Why is this Jötunn different from the rest of his brethren?" 

Heimdall looked back towards Jötunheimr, expression troubled. "I know not, AllFather. Only that, upon sighting him, I am filled with the greatest trepidation and fear for the future." 

Odin snorted. "He is but a Jötunn, Heimdall. What danger could he possibly pose?" He turned to leave the great dome. "When he is of age and enters his first heat, let me know." 

Heimdall bowed. "As my king commands." 

-0-

When the word came, Odin dropped everything. 

"Sire, I feel it is my duty to warn you that this Jötunn is a talented sorcerer," Heimdall cautioned as Odin strode into position. 

"Sorcerers are of little concern, especially those of Jötunheimr," Odin assured him. "Activate Bifröst and send me to him." 

Heimdall inclined his head and activated the bridge, sending Odin to the outskirts of the capitol city. Or, what was left of it, after the war had left it devastated. From without, it appeared as though there had been no attempts to restore it to its former glory, though how much of that was an illusion to keep visitors away, Odin couldn't say without spending far more time than he cared to study it. 

Since before Odin had been born, omegas in heat were forced beyond the city walls, a way to keep visiting alphas from walking through the city and disrupting whatever passed for daily life on a world made of ice. There were a few other Jötnar out upon the ice, one currently being had by a burly Æsir Odin vaguely recalled from the war. 

His Jötunn had hidden himself behind a rather impressive illusion, but he hadn't learned enough to hide his scent sufficiently, and Odin tore away the illusion without a thought once he was upon the boy. 

Blood-red eyes, lined with gold paint, stared up at him in shock for a moment before a long-fingered hand came up to cast a hasty spell. 

Odin caught the hand and snapped the Jötunn's wrist. Over his howl of pain, the AllFather commented, "You will have to try much harder than that to deny me, Laufeysson." 

The child bared his teeth, unnaturally sharp in response to his fear. "I was not raised to give in to you, pink-skin." His other hand came up, a silver blade flashing in the weak light of Jötunheimr's sun. 

Odin blocked the wild swing tiredly, and opened his mouth to speak, unimpressed, when the child's other hand came around with another knife – broken wrist and all – and cut a long line under Odin's eye patch. He reeled in pained surprise for a moment, giving the child the chance to scramble to his feet and start across the tundra. 

"Little monster," Odin snarled, weaving a spell to drag the child back to him. 

He returned, snarling curses and fighting against the spell the entire way. When he was within reach, he swung at Odin again, but the AllFather caught both of his arms and dislocated his shoulders. 

"Next time," he breathed into the gasping child's ear, one hand ripping his loincloth away and sending golden beads scattering across the frozen ground, "do not fight me." 

"Impale yourself on your spear," the child spat back, red eyes flashing warningly just before green magic sparked under his skin, throwing Odin away from him. 

Odin was back on his feet and had his hand around the child's throat before he could get more than four steps away, breathing hard from the pain he was surely in. "I can make this indefinitely more miserable for you, wretch. _Don't_ anger me." 

Red eyes glowed with anger and hatred. "You're not angry yet? Clearly, I've fai–"

Odin motioned, magically forcing the child's tongue still, and smiled coldly as his eyes went wide. "Now then," he murmured, turning the boy around and forcing him to the ground, "perhaps we can get on with what nature intended." He pulled open his trousers, eyeing the Jötunn's dripping cunt with a degree of glee. 

The child let out a wordless growl, which turned into a scream as Odin forced his way inside. Broken and agonising to use as his arms had to be, the Jötunn didn't flinch away from clawing at the frozen ground beside where Odin held his head down. 

"Norns," Odin gasped through his euphoria at _finally_ having what he'd been looking forward to for so very long. "You feel glorious." He let go of the child's head so he could better grip his waist and fuck into him that much harder. "I have not enjoyed something so pure in– Ah! In centuries." 

The child shook his head against the ice, holding onto his pride for another minute before he let out a sob and started pushing back into Odin's thrusts, his body finally opening to the intrusion. 

Odin didn't bother ensuring the child orgasmed until after he'd come inside him. And, even then, only bothering because his knot forced them to remain in position for a long few minutes. When he finally pulled away, the Jötunn curled around his knees as much as he could with his arms in the state they were in. 

The AllFather considered the child for a long moment before demanding, "If I heal you, will you fight me again?" 

Red eyes peeked up at him, dull and broken. He shook his head, then looked away again. 

Odin decided to trust him and cast his spells before settling on the ice next to the child. "You might as well rest." 

The Jötunn gave no response to that. 

-0-

An omega's first, true heat was always long. Were this any other Jötunn, Odin would have had him once, perhaps twice, then left him to others looking for a quick fuck. For this child, however, he remained the entire fifty-seven days, staring down anyone who thought to share or request he return to Asgard to see to his duties. 

The child didn't fight him again, but there were times that his blue skin glinted green with magic, and his teeth never once lost their sharpness. 

When the child's heat was over, Odin caught his chin and forced him into a kiss, pleased when he didn't attempt to bite him. "Do not think, little wretch, to hide any children from me. I will know, and neither of us would wish to start a war over something so tiny." He stepped away, drawing his cloak around himself. "Until your next heat, Laufeysson." 

-0-

Heimdall watched, silent, as the Jötunn child his king was so in lust with, discovered he was with child and poisoned himself near to death to ensure it was stillborn. 

This was one secret he would never share. 

-0-

"Please do not make me go out there," Loki begged zir father as Laufey carried zir towards the edges of the city. 

Laufey snorted. "You know the law, Loki. I will not break it just because some Áss has a fondness for you. Show zir obedience and perhaps ze will bring you gifts." 

"I will _never_ show obedience to that Áss _pig_!" Loki shouted, kicking at zir father, as though ze had the strength to make Laufey let zir go. 

Laufey set zir down beyond the protective magics. "Then don't. But neither should you expect salvation while ze has zir way. You will learn, Loki, that the best way to manage the Æsir, is to allow them their pleasures. Use their desire against them." 

"I will not be turned into some Áss' _whore_!" Loki screamed, zir magic dancing over zir skin. "I am the High Mage of Jötunheimr, and I will be–"

Laufey smacked zir across the face, sending Loki sprawling upon the ice. "You are nothing more than a Midgardian child with a straw sword while you are in heat, brat," ze informed zir child drily. "Be resigned to your curse, as we all are." Ze turned away. "If you bring down the city wards in an attempt to re-enter while you are still in heat, I will send you to Asgard for their pleasures." 

Loki stayed laying across the ice for a long moment, squinting to watch zir father retreat behind the magic Loki had woven over the city. Back when ze had created the spells, ze had never thought ze might wish to tear them down to escape the pink-skinned alphas that came from other Realms to sate the cursed biology of the Jötnar. But, then again, ze'd also planned to encase zirself in protective spells while forced out on the tundra, hiding zir from those alphas while ze rode out zir heat. 

Ze'd never made any plans for an Áss who was a mage. Ze'd been under the impression that Æsir alphas weren't mages, that it was considered un-alpha to weave spells. 

Never mind that this particular Áss seemed determined that ze have _Loki_.

Ze groaned and pushed zirself to zir feet, then turned to assess zir options. There were four other Jötnar in sight of the city, three of them with Æsir seeking their ' _pleasures_ '. Ze could try tempting one of them away – there were tales of alphas who wouldn't touch an omega who'd already been fucked that heat – or ze could try and set up some form of magical protections before the second stage of zir heat robbed zir of that ability. (It was already weakened by the first stage; ze didn't have long to protect zirself, if that was zir choice.) 

Just as Loki made up zir mind to try tempting one of the Æsir already on the ice, the light and wind of Bifröst appeared mere feet from zir. Ze stared in horror as the alpha from before stepped out, zir cape flaring around zir as the energy dissipated. 

Loki didn't think, just turned and ran. 

Ze managed to throw off the first grasping spell, and dodged the second. The third, though, dragged zir back to the Áss hard enough to jar them both as that too-hot hand clasped around zir neck from behind. 

"You would be wise, little wretch, to not give me cause to hurt you again," the alpha rumbled warningly. 

Loki gave zirself a breath to consider giving in, before reaching up with one of zir knives and digging it into the Áss' hand hard enough that ze could feel the tip against zir own throat. "Go choke on your own faeces, beast." 

The alpha roared and tightened zir grip on Loki's throat so ze could not breathe. With zir uninjured hand, the Áss ripped Loki's knife from zir hand, then used it to stab Loki in the leg. "I am not the _beast_ here, you wretched creature," ze snarled in Loki's ear as pain sparkled across zir darkening vision. 

With no further warning than a vague impression that zir centre of balance was changing, Loki felt a cock shove into him hard enough that, had ze breath, ze would have screamed. The hand around his throat eased only enough that ze kept consciousness, but Loki would have rather the darkness taken zir into its embrace, than suffer the brutality this Áss thought was zir _right_.

'Beast' indeed. 

-0-

Once again, Loki was forced to kill the child growing in zir belly. 

"Why, child?" Laufey whispered as ze tried to keep Loki's temperature down, zir body overheating dangerously in an attempt to fight against the magical poison ze'd injected into the now-vanished bump of zir stomach. 

Loki curled against zir father's chill, nearly sobbing from the pain raging through zir. "I will _never_ give birth to that _monster's_ bastard," ze managed to get out. 

"Loki, my child..." Laufey whispered, zir voice breaking. 

Loki closed zir eyes, body jerking at a particularly sharp cut of pain across zir belly. 

Ze wondered if ze would ever find the strength to admit that ze would rather kill zir child before ze could love it, only to have it ripped from zir arms by the alpha who sired it. 

-0-

The Jötunn didn't stop fighting. Odin remained furious at the fight for the first century, but eventually came to enjoy the game in subduing his blue-skinned opponent. In truth, the young Jötunn was a most excellent opponent, wily in ways that Odin would never have thought of, and clever enough to learn from his mistakes. Never once did he try an attack twice, though he did often begin their encounters by attempting to flee. (Odin suspected that was simply an animal reaction, one which the Jötunn couldn't quite suppress.) 

Never once had the Jötunn borne Odin a child. Or, if he did, it hadn't lived long enough for Heimdall to report back about it. Odin suspected the fault was to be found in the harsh climate and the Jötunn's small form, and occasionally thought of bringing him back to Asgard, where he could give birth in safety. 

"You can't bring a Jötunn back to Asgard," Frigga chided him when he made mention of it to her. She made no secret of her distaste for his visits to Jötunheimr, but she didn't fight him about them, instead quietly taking charge of their kingdom when Heimdall called him. 

There were many, many reasons that Odin had married Frigga, of all the Æsir and Vanir offered to him; her silence was but one of them. 

"Because of the disapproval of the court?" Odin snorted. "That has hardly stopped me in past." 

Frigga sighed. "Because you, yourself, made a law almost two millennia ago that no true Jötunn would ever set foot in Asgard again." 

Odin grimaced, recalling well the day the Jötnar pets a number of his people had kept for their daily pleasures had risen up and slit the throats of their masters. It had been hel to find and kill them all, and Odin had wasted no time in ensuring such would never happen again. "Curse your most excellent memory." 

Frigga narrowed her eyes at him, unimpressed. "What does it matter if this particular Jötunn gives you a child? You have two perfectly healthy sons already, and I am not yet too old to give you more, if you would stop wasting all your seed in that frozen waste." 

Odin frowned at her. "Have you wish to make a complaint, Wife?" 

Frigga stood, towering over him only because he still sat. "I would, Husband. If that's even what you _are_ to me any longer." 

That...cut. As it had, no doubt, been intended to. He rubbed a hand over his face. "State your demands, Frigga," he requested. 

"For one century, you share my bed and mine alone. Then, should you still wish to spend time with this Jötunn beast, you have my blessing. Or I leave now, back to Vanaheimr, and take Thor and Baldr with me." 

Odin eyed her for a moment, weighing his options. 

As though there was actually a choice. 

-0-

The first time the Áss didn't visit Loki during zir heat, ze nearly cried with relief, even as zir body screamed and raged for the relief it had become accustomed to. 

The second time, ze whispered blessings even as ze hid in the shadow of an outcropping of ice, having left the city too close to the second stage of zir heat to cast zir protections on zirself. Ze had to deter two alpha Vanir, but they were no match to zir usual rapist, and most visitors to Jötunheimr avoided prey that flashed knives at them. 

The third through fifth heats were nothing more than long, boring days spent making shapes in the ice or curling in on zirself as zir body cried for someone to come and fill zir with their seed. (If only Loki could force zir body to the will of zir mind.) 

The sixth heat began just as tedious as the others. Ze'd surrounded zirself with zir protections and set aside zir knives so ze didn't chance hurting zirself as zir body fought zir. 

Everything changed about halfway through zir heat, while ze was thrashing for want of an alpha. Ze wasn't quite aware enough to sense zir protections being torn down, but ze definitely noticed when hands roughly pulled zir to zir knees and tore zir loincloth away. When a cock breeched zir, ze screamed zir pleasure into the cold air, pushing back against the too-hot body behind zir. 

Norns. How wonderful it felt to have relief after so long without. 

It was only in the afterglow of release, the cock within him just starting to release its knot, that Loki realised zir protections were torn to shreds by magic horrifyingly familiar to zir. Ze peeked over zir shoulder to find that familiar blue eye gleaming at zir with victory. "You _monster_!" Loki raged, reaching for zir knives. 

The Áss grabbed zir wrist and held on tightly enough to threaten breaking it. "Must you always ruin this, my wretch?" 

"I will cut out your other eye and feed it to the ice beasts!" Loki snarled, twisting to grab at the Áss' face with zir free hand, a part of zir mind testing the knot. Almost. 

The alpha sighed and grabbed that wrist, too. "Cease this madness before I hurt you." 

Loki twisted in the alpha's grip until ze could ram zir head back into the Áss' chest hard enough to (hopefully) crack a couple ribs, horns scoring long marks along hir shoulders. With the alpha's grip and knot loosened, ze scrambled away, grimacing as the knot tugged coming free, and snatched up zir knives as ze rolled out of reach. "Go back to whatever kept you away, and do so with the _only_ blessing you will ever get from me." 

Gold magic sparkled across the alpha's chest, easing zir breathing and the long horn marks. Then ze stood to stare down at where Loki was crouched, expression unimpressed. "This is your last warning, Laufeysson. Cease." 

"Go _die_!" Loki screamed, throwing one of zir knives at the alpha's single eye. While ze deflected that, Loki charged forward to ram zir horns into zir chest, zir other knife sinking into the soft flesh of zir belly. 

The Áss roared and zir hands came to brace Loki's shoulders. Before Loki could think to be worried, the hands on zir overheated and fire raced across zir skin. Ze screamed in agony and tried to get away, but the hands wouldn't let go, wouldn't let the pain stop until pain was all there was. 

Pain and darkness. 

-0-

"You didn't supply it was Odin AllFather who had found pleasure in you," Laufey said when ze came to visit Loki. 

Loki stared at zir father for a long moment before turning away, refusing to react to the pain the slow-healing burns caused at the movement. "What care have I – have _you_ – for which of the pink-skins fucks me." 

Laufey grabbed Loki's chin and roughly forced zir to look around. "Odin is my greatest foe, but ze is our only hope of salvation. You listen, and you listen _well_ , High Mage: Your duty is to your people, and you will do it willingly, or you will regret your decision to cross me. Am I clear?" 

"As clear as the waters of Hvergelmir, Sovereign," Loki ground out. "What is your law?" 

Laufey's grip eased. "You will not fight Odin. You will give zir zir pleasures, and when ze again fills you with child, you will birth it." 

Bile climbed Loki's throat. "Faðir–"

Laufey shook Loki's chin. "You will do this, Mage." 

Loki squeezed zir eyes closed. "Yes, Sovereign," ze whispered. 

Laufey's touch vanished. "Once you have healed, the wards around the western quarters require your attention." 

"I will see to it in due course," Loki promised. 

It took every drop of inner strength ze possessed to keep from sobbing away the last of zir freedom. 

-0-

It was even odds how Odin felt about his Jötunn's new compliance. On one hand, it was nice to come to Jötunheimr and not have to chase the little wretch across the tundra, resulting in broken bones or the loss of blood for at least one of them. On the other hand, there was something hollow fallen between them when the Jötunn didn't make that attempt to get away. 

It was as though the fight had been burned out of the younger. 

A year after the first compliant coupling, Heimdall sent word that the Jötunn had given birth. Odin returned to Jötunheimr and met the Jötunn at the edge of the illusion of the ruined city. Only now, as he held out the pink-skinned child, did Odin see how hollow his eyes were. 

Instead of taking the babe, Odin caught the Jötunn's chin. "Your name, Laufeysson." 

Blank red eyes met his. "What does it matter. Take it and leave." He raised the child higher, bumping it against Odin's arm. 

Odin took the child, glancing over the brush of dark hair that marked it as of Jötnar origins, for all it would look Æsir for its entire life. "What is the gender?" he asked even as he attempted to push the wrapping out of the way. 

"How should I know?" the Jötunn snapped, a moment's life returning to him. "You are the ones who designate gender." He turned away, shoulders slumping. "Leave," he ordered hollowly. 

Odin grabbed one shoulder, forcing the Jötunn to stop. "Your _name_ , Laufeysson," he ordered. 

Blank eyes looked over one blue shoulder. "Call me as you please, AllFather; Jötnar have no names outside the safety of our city." Then he shrugged Odin's hand away and vanished past the illusion. 

Odin returned to Asgard and handed the child over to Frigga, who took it with a frown. "Has she a name?" she asked after a quick check of the gender. 

Odin shrugged. "I wasn't told, if she does." 

"Husband, tell me you didn't simply snatch the child and leave without a word." 

Odin scowled at her. "How cruel you think me! No. I rather had her forced upon me with the order that I leave." He turned away. "I'm sure she was as welcomed there as any Æsir." 

"I hope the next child is Jötunn," Frigga said, quietly enough that Odin could pretend to not hear. "No mother should have their child ripped from their arms." 

"I did not _rip_ that child from _anyone_!" Odin shouted after her. 

Frigga paused in the doorway and pinned him with unforgiving eyes. "Perhaps not, AllFather, but your laws certainly did. Or were you not the one to decree that only omegas would reside on Jötunheimr?" 

She left before Odin could point out that it had been his _father_ to give that decree. 

Not that such a correction was likely to save him from Frigga's cold rage. 

-0-

"I have a gift for you." 

Loki didn't look up from where ze was tracing meaningless runes into the ice with one of zir knives. They were awaiting the reawakening of zir heat, and Loki's defeat had gifted zir with a need for far less sleep; helpful in seeing to the magical difficulties of zir people, less so when there was nothing demanding zir attention. "I want no gifts from you," ze muttered, though ze knew zir father would soon enough have zir asking for a great many boons. 

"You will want this gift," the AllFather assured zir before magic sparkled between them. 

Loki looked up tiredly and found a smiling face staring back at zir. The gold of Odin's magic had washed out any colour, but ze could see his own bloodline in the sharpness of the face's cheekbones and the bump along the bridge of their nose. Bile and hurt warred through zir and ze threw a hand through the image. "I want _no_ gifts from you," ze snarled. 

Odin frowned at zir. "You have no interest at all in your own daughter?" 

Loki snorted. "I have no children." 

"You do. Or do you deny Irpa came from your own body?" 

"What matter is the one who birthed one of you Æsir?" Loki wondered, returning to zir runes. "Were you not also birthed of a Jötunn? And what mention is made of zir?" Ze didn't need to see Odin's face to know zir point was made. 

-0-

"What does Laufey want?" Odin asked before he took his leave. 

The Jötunn shrugged. "I don't know and I don't care." 

"Surely you have a guess." 

Blank red eyes looked up at him, and it was all Odin could do to keep from shuddering. He told himself it was from the chill of the air, not the deadness of this Jötunn he so favoured. "I have many guesses, AllFather. As for the truth of them... Only Laufey-Sovereign could say." 

"Share them, then," Odin requested. 

One dark eyebrow raised, though there was no change to the blankness of his eyes. "You have stolen two things from my people, AllFather; draw your own conclusions as to Laufey-Sovereign's wishes." Then he turned and started towards the city. 

Odin stared after him, feeling cold to his bones. Yes, he'd rather suspected that would be the Jötunn's response. 

-0-

"This is unexpected," Odin said when he came to collect another child from the Jötunn. 

Blank eyes blinked slowly as he held the child out. "What is?" 

Odin took the child and cradled it to his chest. "Two consecutive children, after centuries of nothing." 

The Jötunn snorted and turned away. 

Odin grabbed his shoulder, holding tight enough that he wouldn't simply be shrugged off, as he had last time. "What happened to the other children? I can't believe Irpa was the first." 

The Jötunn turned back to him and smiled, wide and cold. "I killed them. Destroyed them in my belly before they would ever have chance to face this world's misery." 

Odin felt his stomach drop and snatched away his hand, as though he'd been burned. "You _murdered_ them!" 

The Jötunn leaned forward, smile just a little crueller. "So? Better they be dead than rapists or the raped." He turned away and flicked a hand over his shoulder. "You have your bastard. Leave." Then he vanished behind the illusion. 

When Odin handed over the child to his wife, he said, "He's been killing the children." 

Frigga stilled for one long moment, then held the new child to her breast, as though to protect it from someone who wasn't there. "I'm not sure I blame him," she said before turning to leave. 

Odin sighed, resigned to his fate between a rock and an ice storm. If only bowing to Laufey's demands wouldn't lose him access to his son, he might well give the Jötunn king his wishes. But Odin would _never_ give up this particular prize, even if it killed him. 

He wasn't sure his magic would let him.

**Author's Note:**

>  **A/N:** Yes, the ending is ambivalent (I can hear you screaming from here, Runic XD), but life never quite ties up nicely. And, honestly, the only way I could think of to end this fic in a way that wouldn't have had everyone ever demanding seven sequels (which will happen, let's be honest here), would have been to kill Odin or Loki. And I'm not quite prepared to make that choice at this time. XD
> 
> As of this moment, there are no plans to continue this fic. (If you could see my prompts and WiPs lists, you might understand why. ;.; )
> 
> _On Irpa's name:_ Can we talk about how all of these gods seemed to have only male children?  >.> Except Loki, who had Hela. I didn't want this child to be Hela, so I picked a random goddess off Wikipedia's list. ^.^"


End file.
